Check out the bonus Killing IT content on MSP Radio's Business of Tech podcast! Today's a great day to subscribe to that: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/ -- -- --  Topic 1: The Current State of Mergers, Acquisition, and MSP Consolidation Mergers and Acquisitions are alive and well in the MSP channel. Jay McBain from Canalys predicts a growth of M&A of 50% in 2024. In addition to MSPs themselves, he says that we’ll see some major vendors acquired as well. The promise of these larger organizations is always that they’ll bring efficiency and profit. So far, that hasn’t happened. But that’s the promise. Karl thinks this is a GREAT marketing opportunity for MSPs. Related Links: https://greenwichgp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MA-Demand-for-Managed-Service-Providers-in-2024.pdf  https://www.channelfutures.com/mergers-acquisitions/msp-m-a-staying-hot-what-to-expect  -- -- --  Topic 2: The Practical Application for AI in Small Business Are we there yet? While AI is the most popular topic in technology, the question remains: what can we use AI for that will produce actual business value? Some industries have made great progress with AI, including manufacturing and medicine. According to a recent study, more than 93% of manufacturers (from start-ups to global giants) are already using AI in some form.  What are the implications and opportunities for MSPs and solution providers to sell their services to manufacturing clients? And what lessons can we learn to accelerate the adoption of AI in other industries? Related Link: https://research.aimultiple.com/manufacturing-ai/ -- -- -- Topic 3: How to best use predictions and analysis from guys like us. Summary of the Larry Walsh article linked below:  “IT spending growth projections should be taken with caution as they are directional and subject to change. While major analyst firms forecast healthy growth, the market is not uniformly strong, with several countries experiencing recession. Partner confidence is also dampened due to negative macroeconomic trends. Despite fluctuations in forecasts, investors, vendors, and partners rely on them for strategic planning. Channelnomics predicts conditions in the first half of 2024 to resemble 2023, with substantial improvement in the second half. Robust growth in IT spending is expected in 2025 and potentially 2026, driven by investments in artificial intelligence, data management services, and infrastructure refreshes.” Article by Larry Walsh, Channelnomics:  https://channelnomics.com/taking-it-spending-forecasts-with-grain-of-salt/  See also: "With a projected 6.8% surge in global IT investment in 2024, organizations are positioned at the brink of transformative growth. According to Gartner, worldwide IT spending it expected to total $5 trillion in 2024. This represents a 6.8 percent increase over 2023. And while this is an increase, it’s down from the previous forecast of 8 percent." https://www.teamdynamix.com/strategic-it-spending-in-2024-navigating-growth-and-innovation/   :-)

Topic 1: Chat GPT 1 year later. AI Article Summary: Elon Musk creates his own AI company called X.AI, while Satya Nadella of Microsoft invests in OpenAI and accelerates plans to incorporate AI into Microsoft's products. OpenAI releases ChatGPT as a "low key research preview," which becomes a hit. Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, faces challenges with its own chatbot and struggles with the decision to go open-source. Microsoft introduces its own chatbot in Bing, surpassing Google's efforts. Geoffrey Hinton, a prominent AI scientist at Google, decides to quit and reflects on the rapid advancements in AI technology. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/technology/ai-chatgpt-google-meta.html --- Topic 2: Robots Multiplying by Thousands! AI Article Summary: Agility Robotics plans to open a factory in Oregon to mass-produce humanoid robots, starting with their bot named Digit. The factory aims to produce 10,000 robots per year and will assist companies like Amazon with tasks such as hauling and lifting. The production of bipedal robots that are nimbler and more versatile than existing industrial counterparts presents engineering challenges, but Agility Robotics aims to make general-purpose humanoids available as soon as possible.  Other competitors in this space include Tesla, Boston Dynamics, Sanctuary AI, Figure, and Apptronik. Amazon has invested in Agility Robotics and is testing Digit in a laboratory. The concern about robots taking jobs from humans has prompted Amazon to partner with MIT to study automation's impact on work. While there is momentum behind humanoid robots, there is still more testing to be done. In a separate article, it is highlighted that America's military needs to embrace artificial intelligence and robotics to maintain its competitive advantage in future wars, but congressional and bureaucratic restraints hinder rapid mobilization and investment in these technologies. https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-whats-next-d504c6f4-c6d1-4979-ae67-72f5bfaff090.html --- Topic 3: Will Private Equity Destroy Our Industry? Karl speculates that private funding and private equity will be looking for serious payouts starting in 2024. With a 4-6 year window, the clock is ticking. Some companies will have an identity crisis in the years ahead, and that will become visible in 2024.  Higher interest rates will force companies to decide, “Do we want to run this company like an adult, or take our money and leave?” Those who stay will either get loans - at higher rates than we’ve seen in twelve years - or take companies private so they don’t rely on outside financing. Investors who were promised a straight 40-50% return per year were disappointed in 2023 and that disappointment will grow in 2024. These people care nothing for the businesses they buy or the end clients of those businesses. Our industry cannot escape the effects of this unknown element of chaos.   --- Sponsor Memo: IT Service Provider University  This episode is Sponsored by Dave’s January class at ITSPU.com. Dave is teaching a brand new class in January: navigating emerging technologies for MSPs. This is a five week class, which will walk through the methodology Dave uses for analyzing technologies and how you can apply that in your business to find trends and be effective in your service provider business. More info at  https://www.itspu.com/all-classes/classes/navigating-emerging-technologies-for-msps/   :-)

We're Baaaaaack! The Killing IT team returns . . . with a fun and educational Q4 show.  Topic 1: Overworking  Have you heard the term Over Employment or Overworking? These are folks who manage to hold down two or three full time jobs using apps and BS. Are these just eager, hardworking "gig" folks, or are they thieves who are simply more interested in making money than earning an honest living? A few links: https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7begx/overemployed-hustlers-exploit-chatgpt-to-take-on-even-more-full-time-jobs https://www.wired.com/story/remote-tech-workers-secret-multiple-jobs/ https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/news-insights/fp-weekly-checklist-avoiding-the-new-breed-of-workplace-scams-in-the-remote-work-era.html They even have their own web site. https://overemployed.com/ Topic 2: Catch up on Artificial Intelligence Wow! What a year. Are we in the middle of a singularity? ow much is this like the early Internet (late 1990’s)? It seems like 2023 will be remembered as the year of AI.  We look at the good and the great - and what's next. What do you think? Topic 3: Metaverse – Dave offers a theory What will augmented reality bring? It looks like the future is becoming a little more visible. New products, from Apple's Vision Pro to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, are bringing new opportunities and will only get better with a little AI! We discuss. Please like and share - and send us your feedback! -- -- -- :-)

Topic 1: How much will AI change our business in the next twelve months? ChatGPT now has over 100 million users. Government wants to regulate it. We’re past the hockey stick moment.  https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/14/u-s-tech-policy-must-keep-pace-with-ai-innovation/  --- Topic 2: Oh Dear God - Minority Report crack for Ryan: Movie clip reconstructed by an AI reading mice's brains as they watch Researchers have put together a 30-second movie clip based on a group of mice's brain activity data that was recorded while they watched the footage https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371943-movie-clip-reconstructed-by-an-ai-reading-mices-brains-as-they-watch/    --- Topic 3: How dead is the metaverse? KP: Not every “cool” technology has a big future. It will find its niche.    https://www.businessinsider.com/metaverse-dead-obituary-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-tech-fad-ai-chatgpt-2023-5   --- Resources and Links: https://www.businessof.tech/ https://www.asigra.com/ https://smbonlineconference.com/

Topic 1: The Arms Race is Here...AI is Definitely Moving Fast, but Will It Break Things? ChatGPT is now integrated in Bing as “Prometheus.” That sounds ominous. But Bard is also coming. And now Ernie. And Claude. Soon there will be AI bots generating “conversations” and disrupting the search industry on all sides of the globe. Is that a good thing? https://www.reuters.com/technology/chinas-baidu-finish-testing-chatgpt-style-project-ernie-bot-march-2023-02-07/ https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/08/chinese-tech-giant-alibaba-working-on-a-chatgpt-rival-shares-jump.html Sample alternative tools -  https://bing.com https://hyperwriteai.com/ https://easy-peasy.ai/  ...And also, apparently writing software is about to become a less-lucrative career path. https://www.semafor.com/article/01/27/2023/openai-has-hired-an-army-of-contractors-to-make-basic-coding-obsolete --- Topic 2: Revisiting the Cabana... Four years ago, we set out to change the way our industry discussed IT.  We covered the scary, the quirky, and the fun of IT--all in hopes we could help others (and ourselves) understand this wild world just a little more.   Thank you for helping us do that. This is not goodbye. We WILL see you later. Until then, we thank you for tuning in to the Killing IT Podcast.    Contact us: Karl https://smallbizthoughts.com/ https://smbonlineconference.com/ Dave https://www.businessof.tech/ Ryan rmorris@morrismp.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmorris303 --- Sponsor Memo: Linode  Are your go-to cloud providers AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud? Do you ever question whether some clients really need the complexity and expense of the big players? Recommend a better fit with Linode and Akamai, Linux cloud hosting at a fraction of the cost of the big players. Save up to 70% on cloud bills, enjoy flat transparent pricing and zero-tier technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of your monthly spend. Test Linode for yourself with $250 free cloud credit from https://linode.com/mspradio

Topic 1: Score 1 for the Good Guys in the Cyber Wars https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-login-0f2b3e6a-1272-4510-8fd2-c1aa9128b8db.html In a significant development in the fight against ransomware, the FBI announces that they have shut down a notorious cyber gang after infiltrating their system months ago and secretly giving decryption keys to ransomware victims. Topic 2: Ummmm … This is Some Seriously Scary Big Brother Stuff https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3p7xj/scientists-are-getting-eerily-good-at-using-wifi-to-see-people-through-walls-in-detail Scientists have announced that they are able to see people through walls using WiFi technology. And not just the “heat blob” from Hollywood movies … but detailed movements and positions. On a scientific note, this is cool. On a security / privacy note, this is super eerie.  Topic 3: No One Is Surprised: The First Victim in the AI Wars Will Be … Ethics https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-login-77eb3638-5655-4156-b6dc-abb7129dde34.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0 Sure, generative AI is fun. We have had our laughs and we’re starting to grind the gears to find legitimate uses for services like ChatGPT … and the possibilities are incredible. But never forget that this isn’t just about technology, it’s about business. And the incumbents aren’t going to just let the upstart take over the industry. And once the race for market domination begins, the commitment to ethics and fair treatment are likely to be the first casualties. https://www.nist.gov/trustworthy-and-responsible-ai  Princeton computer science professor says don't panic over 'bullshit generator' ChatGPT https://www.businessinsider.com/princeton-prof-chatgpt-bullshit-generator-impact-workers-not-ai-revolution-2023-1 "It is trying to be persuasive, and it has no way to know for sure whether the statements it makes are true or not," he said.  Also … this one is incredibly funny: https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-login-77eb3638-5655-4156-b6dc-abb7129dde34.html :-)  The Onion weighs in with the most accurate take on ChatGPT yet. Sponsor Memo: OITVOIP Let’s cut the FUD; don’t let anyone scare you from selling VoIP because “compliance is hard”.  With our newest Managed Compliance service, OITVOIP removes compliance headaches from the picture while you retain control of your client relationships.  Get started selling faster than ever! Visit HTTPS://oit.co/ mspradio to learn more today!

Topic 1: Sorry: Let’s talk jobs. December: Total new jobs UP 235,000. That is despite the fact the enterprise companies (500 employees+) reduced jobs by 151,000 https://adpemploymentreport.com/ ← Great summary stats Spotify  600 (6% of workforce) Twitter  3,700 (50% of those who lasted this long) Salesforce 7,000 (10% of workforce) Microsoft 10,000 (5% of workforce) Tesla  10,000 (10% of workforce) Google  12,000 (6% of workforce) Amazon 18,000 (1% of workforce) Oh, and . . . Apple  0 (0% of workforce) - Minor adjustments at retail locations See also the big Layoff-Tracker Service at TrueUp -  https://www.trueup.io/layoffs  NOTE - TrueUp also lists about 180,000 tech job openings right now. Topic 2: The FBI crime data is not good! We have a crime data dilemma.  The recent mass shooting in Monterey Park, CA will NOT be included in the FBI's nationwide crime statistics. It turns out, the county as well as 33% of other law enforcement agencies, have not be using the the justice department's crime reporting system.  Does this data disconnet present new opportunities?  https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-whats-next-add26afa-8dd9-45d6-9e98-19120c707fe6.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0 Topic 3: First Personal Drone to be Produced by India No, Wally, you don’t get a flying car. But you might get a personal drone. Currently going into production for the Indian Navy. But keep your eyes open for a civilian version. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indias-first-passenger-drone-will-be-showcased-by-navys-tableau-on-republic-day/articleshow/97292778.cms Maybe you do get a flying car: https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/01/09/flying-cars-virginia-jetson The maker of the Jetson One — a single-passenger aircraft whose manufacturer says it can take off and land from a driveway — says one of its first customers is in Charlottesville, with a delivery scheduled for later this year, per the company's website.   Sponsor Memo: NSITSP  Hey MSPs: People are talking about you - behind your back. They're regulators and legislators. They're CISA and the states of Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. And more. Every state now has at least one committee in their state legislature that focuses on cybersecurity. That means regulation is coming. You can count on it. The National Society of IT Service Providers was created to give you a seat at the table when someone's talking about you. That includes regulator, legislators, and even the media. Find out more and join today at https://www.nsitsp.org We're working on your behalf to turn the industry into a profession.

Topic 1: Small companies are “labor hoarding” while large companies are laying off. https://www.utahbusiness.com/labor-hoarding-tech/  https://www.teambonding.com/labor-hoarding/  Keeping employees at any cost! Topic 2: Understanding the Dynamics of the Tech Workforce in 2023 Data Point 1: Tech Layoffs are Happening … But Not Because Tech is Suddenly Less Valuable https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-login-e28dd906-601f-480d-8c1a-656851613556.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0 Data Point 2: Tech Jobs are Less Attractive to Young Professionals https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/01/09/tech-jobs-less-desireable-2023 Data Point 3: Shifting Preference for Generalists vs. Specialists … Plus a Mainstream Rise of “Business IT” Contributors https://www.ciodive.com/news/technology-workforce-trends-2023/639543/ Amazon layoffs delivered by email. ← Low class or just modern times? Topic 3: Cal Newport on the Digital Workplace: We got it wrong Too much distraction. In fact, ALL distraction, all the time. Primary thesis = We rarely get things right the first time. But we treat technology as if we do. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/01/23/magazine/cal-newport-interview.html See also https://www.calnewport.com/books/deep-work/ Sponsor Memo: Linode The days of limiting yourself to the big players is coming to an end. Modernize your cloud offerings by partnering with Linode and Akamai. The cloud landscape is growing with alternative cloud providers like Linode offering better price to performance and better support at the fraction of the cost. There’s just some clients that don’t fit into the one size fits all box of the Big 3. Enter Linode, Linux cloud hosting at the fraction of the cost of the big players. Your customers can save up to 70% on their cloud bill.   Find out more at https://linode.com/mspradio

Topic 1: Algorithms Need Management Training, Too! From Wired Magazine. Human beings excel at avoiding responsibility for difficult decisions. Management and personnel decisions are often difficult. Therefore, they are great candidates for turning decision-making over to the bots. What could possibly go wrong? https://www.wired.com/story/platform-work-labor-economy-ai/  Topic 2: Microsoft drops $1 Billion on ChatGPT I should have bought more Microsoft stock yesterday. :-)  Looking to the true “next level” of product development. Microsoft was an early investor in ChatGPT  https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-openai-investment-the-smartest-1-billion-ever-spent-2023-1 Topic 3: Apple to drop Broadcom chip and make their own. Is this just the never-ending story of “control” of supply chain, or is there a strategy for secret development here? (Are there future technologies that are more easily developed in private, when you don’t have to share future features with an outside chip builder?) https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-drop-key-broadcom-chip-2025-in-house-design-bloomberg-news-2023-01-09/     Sponsor Memo: Acronis  Every client needs Cyber Protection. But that doesn’t mean service providers have to deploy a jumbled patchwork of solutions to get it done. Modern protection starts with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. Acronis combines backup, anti-malware, endpoint protection, management and robust ransomware defense all from a single console. That’s why successful MSPs use Acronis to generate more recurring revenue AND reduce churn. It’s easy to get started at https://Acronis.com

Topic 1: Generative AI is Fun … Until the “Other” Guys Start Doing It Too https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/31/how-china-is-building-a-parallel-generative-ai-universe/ China is aggressively building their own versions of generative AI platforms (with some obvious / inevitable filters) that do essentially the same thing as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion. The question is whether they will be able to out-race us to the auto-content future … and whether that is a problem. Topic 2: LastPass - Lessons for the Channel Should we be worried? What do we expect from vendors? What’s reasonable and realistic? https://blog.lastpass.com/2022/12/notice-of-recent-security-incident/  Is this worth discussing as a larger topic of always-on monitoring and reporting? Topic 3: Fast Forward Into the Future: Intelligent Elevators are Coming Soon https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-whats-next-b35b53bd-5aa6-4a83-aae5-a44e904ffa78.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0 Everyone who has ever been in an elevator knows what is good and what is bad about the experience. But changes in behavior and city culture brought on by the pandemic are accelerating the evolution of the elevator experience: facial recognition to automatically take you to your floor, provide personalized advertising / entertainment, and even provide solo rides for VIPs. The smart city concept will eventually affect everything … are we ready for elevators that know who we are? See also: Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything Paperback – January 1, 2000 by James Gleick  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Acceleration-Just-About-Everything/dp/067977548X    Sponsor Memo: PC Matic  PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust/default deny foundation. Finally - a light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allowlisting. The perfect compliment to your current security stack. No minimums and no annual contracts. Find out more about by visiting https://PCMatic.com/MSP today.

Topic 1: For Sale on eBay: A Military Database of Fingerprints and Iris Scans Great topic for ITSPs - especially as clients get rid of equipment at the end of year. Old machines of all kinds might have sensitive data. Not this juicy, perhaps, but stories like this are great for you client-facing newsletters. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/technology/for-sale-on-ebay-a-military-database-of-fingerprints-and-iris-scans.html Topic 2: The age of the work-from-home whistleblower Why are so many remote workers deciding to squeal on their companies? https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-work-surge-employees-whistleblowing-complaints-companies-fraud-2022-12 Topic 3: Man Simulates Time Travel  So, what is our weekly update with AI? On the up-less existential-side, we have some fun: Time traveling with the aid of AI. No copyrgiht infringment here. Right?  https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/man-simulates-time-travel-thanks-to-stable-diffusion-image-synthesis/ Sponsor Memo: SBTTC  This podcast is sponsored by the Small Biz Thoughts Technology Community. Check us out at https://www.SmallBizThoughts.org Forms, templates, and checklists are just the start. Our Community includes ALL of the best-selling books on managed services in all available formats, plus free training, members-only programs, and the best business training available to managed service providers anywhere. Plus, we have weekly live members-only Zoom calls. The average member saves more than 200% of their membership cost each year. We are totally dedicated to YOUR success.  Just because you're in business for yourself doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Join us today at www.SmallBizThoughts.org. :-)

Topic 1: Meta scamming: Scammers Are Scamming Other Scammers Out of Millions of Dollars https://www.wired.com/story/cybercrime-hackers-scams-forums/  On cybercrime forums, user complaints about being duped may accidentally expose their real identities. Topic 2: Teens are Self-Liberating from Social Media ‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/style/teens-social-media.html  Topic 3: The Drones Are Coming (to 22 Select Locations Around the Country … Within Driving Distance of a Wal-Mart) https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/walmart-droneup-drone-delivery-service-launches-arizona/638950/ Wal-mart announces legitimate progress on rolling out drone delivery to customers in key metropolitan areas. The forecast is to expand to 34 stores in 23 cities by year end to reach a capacity of 1M drone deliveries. And … Utah is on the list of the next markets to launch. Could a burrito delivery be in the near future? --- Sponsor Memo: Cisco  I bet you think working with Cisco is hard. They’re big, and have so much going on, and you’re … smaller.    That’s why there’s Cisco Partner Journeys, an innovative new digital experience designed to accelerate your engagement with Cisco. Each unique journey leads you to the best tools, services, programs and portfolio offerings to help you accelerate sales, build a practice and enhance profitability. Whether you are new to Cisco or a long-time partner, Cisco has the right journey for you.   Interested? Visit https://ciscopartnerjourneys.com/ to find out more.

Topic 1: The Bots are Coming for LinkedIn, Adding New Layers of Risk for Professionals and for Companies … but Especially for Recruiters https://thehustle.co/12122023-LinkedIn-bots/ Bots are everywhere on social media, and some platforms are doing more to combat them than others. Now that the bots are proliferating on LinkedIn, it’s vital for everyone to think about the layers of threat and the corresponding hygiene on the career-centric platform. Topic 2: How does AI write fiction (and online advertisements)? “Fluent BS” https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-fluent-bs/ The term “Fluent Bullshit” was originally coined by The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/5/23493932/chatgpt-ai-generated-answers-temporarily-banned-stack-overflow-llms-dangers Topic 3: Investors Call Time On FAANG Stocks – Big Tech Not Going to Lead the Next Round of Economic Growth https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-10/investors-call-time-on-faang-stock-dominance-after-nasdaq-s-rout The iconic big tech stocks have not only dominated the conversation around the tech industry in the past decade, they have also represented the most reliable outsized sources of growth. But looking forward, industry analysts and stock market investors are indicating they do not believe these mature companies will be able to generate the dramatic growth results needed to maintain sky-high valuations. Who will fill the gap? Sponor Memo: PCMatic PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust/default deny foundation. Finally - a light weight, simple to deploy & easy to manage approach to application allowlisting. The perfect compliment to your current security stack.  No minimums and no annual contracts.  Find out more about by visiting PCMatic.com/MSP today.

Topic 1: Should the Police have killer robots? San Francisco approves the use of robots capable of lethal force. Is this move inevitable, or are the arguments in favor of this just rare exceptions to the rule? https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/sf-police-killer-robots-would-have-explosives-not-guns-sfpd/  Topic 2: Data Volumes are Increasing at Such a Fast Pace, We Need New Words to Describe Just How Much There Is https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-11-30/new-prefixes-for-huge-and-tiny-numbers-ronna-ronto-quetta-and-quecto.html And to absolutely no one’s surprise, businesses are struggling to afford the cost of managing all that data https://www.techradar.com/news/rising-data-management-costs-are-hitting-businesses-hard Data is the essential component of literally every dimension of the technology industry, and we’re producing more of it every day at literally astronomical rates. So much so that we have run out of words to describe just how much there is. Science is solving that part for us. But science can’t help us figure out how to pay to store / manage all of that data. Observation #1: I sure hope you are selling data storage / management solutions. Observation #2: What are the ripple implications for IT management and the services MSPs provide? Topic 3: Chatbots and Generative AI Image Systems are Getting Pretty Good … But is that a Good Thing? https://mashable.com/article/chatgpt-amazing-wrong   https://www.axios.com/2022/09/12/ai-images-ethics-dall-e-2-stable-diffusion AI systems for creating content are steadily improving in terms of technical / functional capability. But the layers of ethical questions continue to stack up. How do you know if the AI chatbot is telling the truth? Is AI art actually art? If the AI is trained on the work of other artists, who should get credit?   Sponsor Memo: Linode  Linode – a top Infrastructure as a Service provider has resources specifically for helping MSPs explore the alternative cloud. Discover this growing market: one of the best-kept secrets in building a scalable, thriving, modern Managed Service Provider business. Learn about the cloud provider landscape, improving KPIs, security, and more in Linode's free ebook, The MSP's Guide to Modern Cloud Infrastructure, available now. This resource and more at https://linode.com/mspradio

Topic 1: The FTX Contagion Has Affected VC / PE Firms that Invest In MSP Vendors https://www.channele2e.com/news/ftx-cryptocurrency-bankruptcy-filing/ In all the noise that’s surrounding the collapse of FTX and the impact on other crypto companies, news is coming out that several major MSP investors have also suffered significant losses. Initial statements indicate that the losses were not enough to threaten the survival of the investment funds, but that there will be implications for how they make investment decisions in the future. Topic 2: Is It Goodnight To Alexa (and other voice assistants)? https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-login-a17bdd5b-e815-4499-bd18-08cbf2114c16.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslogin&stream=top Despite billions invested and many high hopes for a new computer interface, the products in the voice assistant category have dramatically underperformed the plans of their developers – both in terms of usage and commercial value. Is there a future for interactive voice assistants … or is this another in a long line of failed voice recognition innovations? Topic 3: Amazon Lays Off Recruiters … Could Be Planning to Replace Them With AI https://mashable.com/article/amazon-layoff-ai-tech https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-29/amazon-s-cloud-unit-expects-to-keep-expanding-hiring-in-2023 Following the announcement of the largest layoffs in Amazon’s history, the company followed up with buyout offers to hundreds of recruiters, signaling the end of the season of accelerated hiring across Amazon. But yesterday at AWS Reinvent the company announced that it will continue to add staff in 2023 (specifically within the AWS division) as cloud sales continue to accelerate. So, who will do the recruiting? Turns out they are re-visiting the use of an AI recruiting system to do the work previously done by humans. Hmmmmm.   Sponsor Memo: OITVOIP Did you know about STIR/SHAKEN? If you’re doing voice for your customers, you had better — the deadline was June 30. This technology is focused on reducing robocalls, and providers have to take action. Are you compliant? The team at OITVOIP has put together resources for you to learn more… or, for their customers, it’s already handled. Want to learn more?  Visit https://oit.co/mspradio/ for resources to help make sure you’re covered.

Topic 1: The Federal Communications Commission has published the initial draft of its revised high-speed internet coverage maps. The old maps were census-block based. The new maps are based on more detailed information from broadband providers. With the old system, a huge census block would be marked as served even if only one household had broadband. https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/notes/2022/11/18/new-broadband-maps-are-finally-here You can examine updated maps from here: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home For an interactive map, start here and zoom in and out as desired: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/fixed Want to see how you can make money filling the gaps? Check out: https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/resources/federal/federal-funding   Topic 2: An Update - The Labor Situation in Technology Companies While many large tech companies are aggressively shedding employees, some are actually positioned to absorb that talent. TikTok is specifically planning to hire 3000 new engineers. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/11/21/tiktok-is-one-of-the-few-tech-companies-aggressively-hiring-could-regulatory-scrutiny-impede-its-us-presence/?sh=6cfb68c06572 https://www.teamblind.com/post/Meta-CTO-uses-Blind-😂-QtH4wcxQ   Topic 3: Should the Federal Government Provide Cybersecurity Insurance? Flood, Fire, . . . and Cyber? Insurance companies are pushing for taxpayer assistance to provide coverage in the event of catastrophic incidents. The comment period for this topic has been extended until December 11th. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-24476.pdf See the original request for comments here: https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/09/treasury-seeks-comment-how-structure-cyber-insurance-program/377793/ Rather than increasing the number of laws, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) is looking at directing behavior by asking insurance companies to enforce rules on insured companies AND paying the premiums under the right circumstances. How big does a “catastrophic” event have to be for the government to get involved? The emerging model is based on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program adopted after September 11th.   Sponsor memo: Cisco I bet you think working with Cisco is hard.  They’re big, and have so much going on, and you’re…smaller.    That’s why there’s Cisco Partner Journeys, an innovative new digital experience designed to accelerate your engagement with Cisco. Each unique journey leads you to the best tools, services, programs and portfolio offerings to help you accelerate sales, build a practice and enhance profitability. Whether you are new to Cisco or a long-time partner, Cisco has the right journey for you.   Interested? Visit https://ciscopartnerjourneys.com/ to find out more.

Topic 1: Good News on the EV Front: Lithium Ion Batteries can be Recycled! https://www.axios.com/2022/11/10/audi-redwood-ev-battery-recycling Yes … we are headed for an EV world. No … there are not nearly enough batteries or charging stations or grid capacity to handle an EV world. But in a positive sign, it turns out that the rare Earth minerals used in LIon batteries do not degrade and can be recycled into new batteries. Increase supply. Reduce pollution. Recycle all those old battery items lying around your house. Win! https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/the-big-battery-challenge-3-potential-alternatives-to-lithium-ion Topic 2: Nine in Ten SMBs Fear a Ransomware Attack    https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/most-smbs-fear-ransomware-attack-amid-heightened-geopolitical-tensions/   A new study from OpenText reveals that nearly 9 in 10 SMB IT security professionals fear a ransomware attack on their organization … yet most do not plan to increase cybersecurity spending. Is this a failure to communicate … or a case of intentional ignorance? --- Topic 3: Is Rude Behavior Contagious Rude behavior on the rise: https://www.axios.com/2022/11/10/rude-behavior-frontline-workers “Employees who experience rudeness at work are less satisfied with their jobs, less engaged with their work, less productive, less helpful, and less creative,” Taylor said. https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/how-rudeness-can-ruin-your-workplace Sponsor Memo: Gozynta  Do you like getting paid? Then make it easy for your customers with Gozynta Payments. Do you teach your customers not to click on links from strange domain names like mymsp.monkeypayments.com or slowbooks.com? Gozynta Payments uses your branding and domain name. No redirects. No confusion. Gozynta Mobius is trusted by over a thousand MSPs to sync financial data. Their new product Gozynta Payments is built with the same care and empathy to make the payment process easy for your customers. Gozynta is a family-owned business dedicated to making software suck less every day. Go to https://gozynta.com/payments to learn more or get started.

Topic 1: Lessons from the Stripe Layoffs - for tech ITs, vendors, and everyone. Stripe layed off 14% of their workforce, and were very open about the reasons. We all make mistakes in periods of rapid growth and rapid decline. This stuff is hard! https://www.businessinsider.com/stripe-layoffs-memo-tech-sector-challenges-2022-11 https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/1136659617/tech-layoffs-amazon-meta-twitter https://www.channelfutures.com/business-models/gradient-msp-layoffs-20-impacted-amid-go-to-market-model-shift Topic 2: Twitter Melting Down Twitter has typically reviewed its products for privacy problems before rolling them out to users, to avoid additional fines from the F.T.C. and remain in compliance with the settlement. But because of a rapid pace of product development under Mr. Musk, engineers could be forced to “self-certify” so that their projects meet privacy requirements… https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/technology/elon-musk-twitter-employees.html Topic 3: The Crypto Meltdown. Gaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! (If you are an FTX investor) https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmoore/2022/11/10/what-to-make-of-this-weeks-crypto-meltdown/?sh=223282b937f8 https://www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2022/11/13/jpmorgan-reveals-shock-cascade-bitcoin-price-prediction-after-stunning-ftx-meltdown/?sh=809cc6c3f66e https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2022/11/11/ether-turns-deflationary-as-amount-of-eth-burned-spikes-amid-ftx-induced-market-volatility/ Crypto for MSPs: https://youtu.be/C6hXJC0_r3o This week the proverbial $h!t hit the literal fan and the crypto market is in full-on chaos and panic mode. What? Why? How? Where do we go from here?   Sponsor: FieldEffect  MSPs are frequently at the forefront of cyber security challenges. Between changing customer expectations and the growing threat landscape, you are stretched thin. Need a helping hand? Download research firm, Aite-Novarica Group’s report, sponsored by FieldEffect, and learn how offering MDR increases revenue, simplifies operations, and maximizes margins for MSPs. This independent analysis explores the growing managed detection and response (MDR) market and how MSPs can differentiate their managed security service with the right MDR solution. You'll also find insights from five MSPs who have added co-va-lence, a hybrid MDR solution, to their offerings and the positive impact it has had on business. Want to learn more? Check the link in the show notes. https://hubs.li/Q01cPMsj0 https://fieldeffect.com/msp-report/ Relax Focus Succeed: https://relaxfocussucceed.com/

Topic 1: U.S. workers have gotten way less productive.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/10/31/productivity-down-employers-worried-recession/ No one is sure why. So we get to make up reasons!  Can this be attributed to the Quiet Quitting Phenomon? Maybe. But maybe not. (Again, we get to come up with our own theories today.) Perhaps, complexity is the enemy of productivity; thus, remote working might not give our brains enough buffering time between each tasks than say walking from the meeting hall to your cubicle would. Also, as we settle into a sort of kind not really post-pandemic world, we can surmise that the line between our work lives and home lives has become less muddled. And maybe, just maybe, this means we aren't being less productive, rather we are setting healthy work to home boundaries at the expense of a project deadline...Again, just speculating.    Topic 2: Spending for Cloud Computing in 2023 is Forecast to Grow … a Lot! https://siliconangle.com/2022/10/31/gartner-spending-public-cloud-services-will-exceed-591b-2023/ In a slight surprise, and a noticeable change of tone, Gartner forecasts that spending on cloud computing – across all 6 categories they include in the segment – will rise in 2023. Just because spending is down in some categories doesn’t mean it will be down in all categories. SaaS / PaaS / IaaS / DaaS / CMaaS / BPaaS. So many awkward acronyms! Topic 3: US Banks spent over $1 Billion on Ransomware in 2021 ...that they reported! https://www.techradar.com/news/us-banks-processed-over-dollar1-billion-in-ransomware-payments-last-year  Time to head into the cloud of uncertainty!  Sponsor Memo: TimeZest  Does coordinating meetings and help desk calls frustrate you and your clients?  Wouldn’t it be easier if you could automate this process and it integrated with ConnectWise Manage or Autotask?    TimeZest is schedulig automation that gives you control of your schedule and removes the frustration of calendar ping pong.  As the only solution specifically designed for MSPs, it integrates with your PSA to schedule appointments right in your workflow.  And the best part? You can try it for free. Visit https://timezest.com  to try it out today.

Topic 1: Japan pushes for digitization  https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-japan-covid-public-d47817295a647379f69da9bb16160d13 Japan has stepped up its push to catch up on digitization by telling a reluctant public they have to sign up for digital IDs or possibly lose access to their public health insurance.  As the naming implies, the initiative is about assigning numbers to people, similar to Social Security numbers in the U.S. Many Japanese worry the information might be misused or that their personal information might be stolen. Some view the My Number effort as a violation of their right to privacy. --- Topic 2: Drone Swarms! No … really.  https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/10/24/1062039/us-navy-swarms-of-thousands-of-small-drones/?truid=&utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_term=&utm_content=10-24-2022&mc_cid=1cc458b67f&mc_eid=61a7b17087 What has been thought of until now as a sci-fi plot or a Hollywood movie trick is now an actual budget line item for the US Navy. We have seen choreographed drones in large-scale performances at the Super Bowl and the Olympics … but (as far as we know) none of those drones were carrying warheads. That’s no longer a safe assumption. And the US military isn’t the only country making progress on this weaponization of small-form UAV technology. --- Topic 3: (NK) Australia flags increased penalties for data breaches following major cyberattacks https://www.reuters.com/technology/australia-flags-increased-penalties-data-breaches-following-major-cyberattacks-2022-10-22/ Australia will introduce laws to parliament to increase penalties for companies subject to major data breaches, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said, after high-profile cyberattacks hit millions of Australians in recent weeks. The proposed changes would lift maximum penalties for serious or repeated privacy breaches from the current A$2.22 million ($1.4 million) to the greater of A$50 million, three times the value of the benefit obtained through the misuse of information, or 30% of turnover in the relevant period, he said. "Significant privacy breaches in recent weeks have shown existing safeguards are inadequate. It's not enough for a penalty for a major data breach to be seen as the cost of doing business," Dreyfus said. --- Sponsor Memo: Cisco  I bet you think working with Cisco is hard.  They’re big, and have so much going on, and you’re … smaller.    That’s why there’s Cisco Partner Journeys, an innovative new digital experience designed to accelerate your engagement with Cisco. Each unique journey leads you to the best tools, services, programs and portfolio offerings to help you accelerate sales, build a practice and enhance profitability. Whether you are new to Cisco or a long-time partner, Cisco has the right journey for you.   Interested? Visit https://ciscopartnerjourneys.com/ to find out more.